Armor.



S. M. ALMENGUAL.

ARMOR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. H. 1916.

Patented May 23,1916.

INVENTOR WITNESS SALVADOR MONTES ALMENGUAL, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

ARMOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 23, 1916.

Application filed January 11, 1916. Serial No. 71,414.

To all whom it may concern I Be it known that I, SALVADOR MoN'rnsALMENGUAL, a subject of the King of Spain, and residing in the city ofPittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Penn sylvania, haveinvented or discovered new and useful Improvements in Armor, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention consists in certain new and useful improvements inresilient protective armor intended to present a yielding resistance tothe impact-0f a projectile and to repel the same without penetration.

More particularly my invention relates to hat form of resilientprotective armor wherein the impact of the projectile is received on anouter skin or surface which is supported and spaced from the base bymeans of metallic springs. Armor of this general character has beendesigned wherein the outer skin or impact surface is in the form of acontinuous, integral plate. EX- periments, however, show that such animpact surface presents a relatively low resistance to penetration andtends to become bent, cracked or broken. Again, a flexible impactsurface, composed of metal plates of relatively small area linkedtogether at their edges and the individual plates spaced from the baseby means of springs, has been proposed. In this case, it has been foundthat, while the plates successfully repel projectiles striking adjacentto the center of the plates, projectiles striking near the edges of theplates or at the juncture between plates tend to penetrate the armor.

My invention consists in improvements in the type of armor characterizedby a flexible outer skin or impact surface, and I overcome the weaknessabove referred to by providing, in addition to the primary springs whichsupport the bodies of the plates from the base, secondary springs whichsimilarly support the abutting edges and corners of adjacent plates.lVith this novel provision, I have found that penetration is avoided andthe projectiles are successfully thrown off without regard to theirpoint of impact. Moreover, it has been found that where simple primarysprings have been used to support the bodies of the plates, the impactof a projectile traveling at high speed sometimes flattens the springwithout aflording suflicient protection to the armor. To overcome thisweakness, I provide auxiliary springs secured to the base but of lesslength than the primary and secondary springs and therefore normally outof contact with the impact plates. here, as is preferable, the primarysprings are of the helical type, said auxiliary springs may be mountedwithin the primary springs. Where such auxiliary springs are providedthe efiiciency of the armor is improved because the longer primary andsecondary springs receive the initial impact of the projectile and bytheir relatively rapid compression neutralize the penetrating effect,while, as the impact surface of the armor moves inwardly toward thebase, the auxiliary springs are in turn compressed, haltmg theprojectile and causing it to rebound away from the armor.

lVhile I prefer to form the outer skin or impact surface of relativelysmall plates flexibly linked together, I may substitute therefor a chainmat.

In the accompanying drawings, which are intended to illustrate theprinciples of my invention. but not to limit the scope of the same tothe construction shown, Figure 1 is a broken edge View of my armor; Fig.2 is a cross section of the same; Fig. 3 is a rear face view with thebase omitted for the sake of clearness; Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig.1 but showing a modification; Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 8 butshowing the said modification; Fig. 6 is an exterior face view of thechain mat impact surface; Fig. 7 is a broken edge view of my improvedarmor provided with said chain mat; Fig. 8 is a broken side view showinga means of anchoring the primary or other springs to the base, and Fig.9 is a similar view showing a method of anchoring the primary andsecondary springs to both the base and to the impact surface.

The following is a detailed description of the drawing, reference beingfirst had to Figs. 1, 2 and 3. A represents the base or backing plate ofthe armor structure. Said base may be a steel plate attached to the hullof a ship, the parts of a vehicle, the wall of a fort or other structureor the clothing or body of a human being or animal, or the hull of aship or the wall of a structure may itself be used as the base A. Thebase A is of course of the proper shape and contour to fit the surfaceor object to which it is applied. I have shown, for the sake ofillustration, the base A as rigid but it is evident that the same may beflexible or elastic, if

desired. WVhere the armor is to be applied to an irregular surface,flexibility in the base would of course be advantageous. B represents aplurality of steel plates, preferably rectangular in contour andflexibly connected together at their abutting edges, as by the links 1.The thickness or gage of the plates varies in accordance with thecharacter of the projectiles to be repelled but said plates should be ofsuch thickness and hardness that the supporting springs, to bedescribed, will be compressed before the plates are penetrated, brokenor distorted. The facial area of said plates also varies. Thus whereprojectiles of the largest caliber are to be repelled,said plates maybe, say, a foot square, while in the case of body armor, intended torepel machine gun and rifle fire plates an inch square will suffice. 0represents strong steel springs, preferably of the helical type whosebases are anchored to the outer face of the base A and whose outer endsare anchored to the inner surface of the plates B. I prefer to provideone of said springs C, which I term primary springs for each of theplates B, the diameter of the spring being slightly less than the axisof the plate. The springs C are preferably set as close together aspossible. Any convenient method of anchoring the springs firmly in placemay be used. Thus in Fig. 8, I show a metal strap or cleat 2 bearinginwardly on the lowermost cycle of a series of springs and riveted orotherwise secured to the base A between the springs. In Fig. 9, I showclips 3 riveted or otherwise secured to the inner face of an impactplate B and turned down over the end cycle of the spring. here aplurality of springs are to be anchored to the same plate, as forinstance the base A, I prefer to employ the cleat 2, but where anindividual spring is to be anchored. independently of adjacent springs,I prefer the clips 3. The means of anchorage are largely omitted inFigs. 1, 2 and 3, to avoid confusion. D represents the secondarysprings, preferably of less diameter than the primary springs andinterposed between the latter, as it were, in the corner formed by fouradjacent primary springs. At their bases said secondary springs areanchored to the base A, while at their outer ends, each of said springsis anchored to each of the four plates 13 whose corners join. Thus eachplate B is bodily supported by its primary spring C, while its cornersin common with the corners of the adjacent plates are supported by thesecondary springs D. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, mounted on and anchoredto the base A within the primary springs C are aux.il iary helicalsprings E which are of somewhat less length than the primary springs andtherefore are not engaged and compressed by the plates 13 until saidprimary springs a plate B, its primary spring C and the adjacentsecondary springs D, together with the other neighboring springs bothprimary and secondary to a less degree, are compressed, thus preventingpenetration and lessening the speed of the projectile, and subsequentlythe auxiliary springs E or E and F are compressed, as the plate B isforced inwardly toward the base A,'thus neutralizing the impact andeventually, by the expansion of the springs, throwing the projectileofffrom the armor; It is evident that if the plate is not broken orpenetrated at the moment of impact, penetration will not occur, as theyielding of the springs will diminish the force of the blow andeventually halt the projectile and throw it off. In case the impact isdelivered at the edge or corner of the plate, the secondary springsprevent the breaking of the connecting links 1 and aid in thedistribution of the force of the blow over a large area of the outerskin or impact surface. I

In Figs. 4 and 5, I have shown the secondary springs as zigzag platesprings D on four sides of the primary spring C, and

anchored by clips 3 to the base A and to plate B along its four sides.It is evident that the function and operation of the springs D issimilar to that of-the springs D. Where the armor is vertically placed,I I

may use the Zigzag secondary springs, but I prefer the helical secondarysprmgs for armor otherwise placed.

In Figs. 6 and 7, I show a chain matB' V substituted as an outer skinfor thelinked together plates B. The springs G and D are anchored to thechain mat by means i of rings 4 or other convenient fasteners, thesecondary springs D filling in the corners between the primary springsG. The length and strength or resistance 'of the springs, of course,vary with the character of projection to be afforded. WVhere large andheavy projectiles are to be repelled the springs are made larger andheavier while much shorter and weaker springs are required to repelsmall arms fire.

Where the armor is to be used under water, the material is rendered rustproof in any well known manner.

i It is evident from the foregoing that my improved armor is muchlighter and less expensive than the solid, thick armor now in use forvessels and vehicles of warand its lightness enables it to be used forthe protection of persons and animals employed in the zone of hostilitywhile the use of solid armor of effective character for the protectionof persons and animals is now impractical owing to its excessive weight.here explosive projectiles are used against my armor, the shell iseither repelled from the armor before it explodes or the force of theexplosion is neutralized by the armor and the missiles scattered by theexploding shell are easily repelled.

lVhat I desire to claim is 1. In resilient protective armor, thecombination of a base, a flexible outer skin, primary springs at regularintervals interposed between said base and said outer skin, andsecondary springs of less diameter interposed between said base and saidouter skin and located in the corners formed by four adjacent primarysprings, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In resilient protective armor, the combination of a base, a flexibleouter skin formed of metallic elements loosely connected together,primary springs of relatively large diameter interposed between saidbase and outer skin and located close together, each adjacent four ofsaid springs thus containing between them a substan tially square vacantspace, and secondary springs of less diameter interposed between saidbase and said outer skin and occupying said vacant spaces, substantiallyas and for the purpose described.

3. In resilient protective armor, the combination of a base, an outerskin composed of metal plates flexibly connected together at theirabutting edges, primary springs interposed between said base and each ofsaid plates, and secondary springs interposed between said base and theedges of said plates, as and for the purpose described.

4:. In resilient protective armor, the combination of a base, an outerskin composed of metal plates flexibly connected together at theirabutting edges, primary springs in terposed between said base and eachof said plates, and secondary springs interposed be tween said base andthe abutting edges of adjacent plates, as and for the purpose described.

5. In resilient protective armor, the combination of a base, an outerskin composed of rectangular metal plates flexibly con-.

nected together at their abutting edges, primary springs interposedbetween said base and each of said plates, and a secondary springinterposed between said base and each four abutting corners of adjacentplates, as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In resilient protective armor, the combination of a base, a flexibleouter skin, springs interposed between said base and said outer skin andanchored to both of the same, and auxiliary springs anchored to saidbase and of less length than said first named springs whereby saidauxiliary springs are out of contact with said outer skin except whensaid first named springs are partially compressed, substantially as andfor the purpose described.

7. In resilient protective armor, the combination of a base, a flexibleouter skin, helical springs interposed between said base and said outerskin and anchored to both of the same, and shorter auxiliary springswithin said first named springs and anchored to said base, whereby saidauxiliary springs are out of contact with said outer skin except whensaid first named springs are partially compressed, substantially as andfor the purpose described 8. In resilient protective armor, thecombination of a base, an outer skin composed of metal plates flexiblyconnected together at their abutting edges, primary helical springsinterposed between saidbase and each of said plates and anchored to bothof the same, shorter auxiliary springs within said primary springs andanchored to said base, and secondary springs interposed between saidbase and the abutting edges of adjacent plates and anchored at bothends, substantially as and for the purpose described.

Signed at Pittsburgh, Pa., this 8th day of January, 1916.

SALVADOR norms ALMENGUAL.

Copies of this patent may'be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe "Commissioner or intents, Washington, D. C.

